The bullpen shuttle: Orioles have a lot of optionable pitchers

As opening day approaches, we know that the Orioles will be relying heavily on their bullpen during the 2017 season. The Orioles bullpen pitchers posted an ERA of 3.40 last year and that led the American League.

For most games this season, the Orioles will feature a seven-man bullpen. And we know that five of those spots will likely be filled by Zach Britton, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens and Donnie Hart. We don't yet know which pitchers will claim the sixth and seventh spots. But we can project that those sixth and seventh spots could feature a revolving door of hurlers as the Orioles look for pitchers that are effective and also rested, with available innings.

Few managers handle a bullpen better than Buck Showalter. He won't overuse his relievers and he always seems to make sure the 'pen has enough rested relievers in the event of an extra-inning game or an early exit by a starting pitcher. He is already ready for those "just in case" scenarios which are sure to surface over a 162-game season.

One huge key for the Orioles this year is that those sixth and seventh spots feature a lengthy list of players that all have options available. They can go back and forth between the majors and minors to provide the Orioles with enough rested arms each night. Heck, they could even provide the club the ability to match up for certain series, carrying an extra left-hander for one team here and then swapping out a right-hander to face another there.

The Orioles actually could have as many as four bullpen spots with optionable pitchers since two who we are counting on being there daily - Givens and Hart - have options remaining.

Two bullpen spots with optionable pitchers seems like a solid situation. Four seems like an embarrassment of riches, compared to some years. Showalter and Dan Duquette can do some mixing and matching indeed all while providing their pitching staff with usable bullpen innings each night.

From the left side, in addition to Hart, these pitchers have options remaining - Vidal Nuño, Richard Bleier, Jed Bradley, Jayson Aquino and Chris Lee.

From the right side, these are some of the pitchers that have options left - Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson, Gabriel Ynoa, Logan Verrett, Joe Gunkel, Jesus Liranzo, Richard Rodriguez, Parker Bridwell and Jason García.

Right-hander Oliver Drake is out of options. He hasn't had a strong spring, but the club might still be inclined to keep him opening day to keep him in the organization. He can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers.

But even if the Orioles carried Drake as a sixth reliever on opening day, they would have one bullpen spot where they could option pitchers in and out. Now once a pitcher is optioned, he has to stay in the minors for 10 days unless he is replacing an injured player on the roster. But the large group of optionable pitchers still gives the Orioles a lot of leeway in how they will use their bullpen in 2017. Add to that the new and shorter 10-day disabled list and we can certainly see the Orioles doing a lot of manuevering.

The Orioles always seem to be a team with among the most roster moves in the sport. With these optionable pitchers at their disposal, that should not change this year.

How did this happen?: I don't know much about high school baseball in Charles County and at Thomas Stone, but the school will not field a team this year. Click here to read more. There were not enough players. How could that be? The team was obviously once a power not only in its county, but in the state of Maryland.

Is this another sign that young people have lost or are losing interest in baseball? I sure hope I'm reaching with that statement. But at a time when we've seen how great the sport can be around the world with the World Baseball Classic, a school in Maryland will be without a team this year. That makes me sad.